Toy



Patented Apr. 15, 1947 2,418,922 Tor Arthur Berndt, New York, N. Y., and Kurt Berndt, Asheville, N. C.

Application January 6, Y1941, -Seral No. 373,368

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-45) This invention relates to toys of the type in which mobile elements, which may be formed in any desirable shape, are freely positioned within a casing having parts formed of materials which take electrostatic charges of diierent sign, whereby the elements are caused to move about when an electrostatic field is set up between such parts by imposing an electrostatic charge on one of them.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a toy of the described type having parts of novel construction and arrangement and formed of materials not heretofore used in such toys, whereby the freely movable elements will move for longer periods of time, with more freedom, and in more erratic paths than the corresponding elements oi known toys of the same general type. Another object is to provide a toy of the described type which is constructed in a novel manner whereby it may be more easily and cheaply manufactured and whereby easier and quicker access may be had to the movable elements within the casing. Another object is to I provide mobile figures for toys of the described Other objects and features` of novelty of the f invention will be made apparent by the following description and the annexed drawing which disclose one embodiment of the invention and impose no limitation on the invention not imposed by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals refer to like parts,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toy formed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a, sectional view taken along any diameter of the -toy disclosed in Fig. 1, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are front and side views showing one of the movable elements provided by the invention.

The embodiment of our invention disclosed in the drawings comprises a circular bottom 2, a cup-shaped cover 4, the open end of which is attached to the periphery of the bottom whereby an enclosing casing is provided, and one or more movable elements 6 which are positioned within the casing for free movement therein. The cover 4 is formed of acetate. The bottom 2 is preferably formed of cardboard and its upper surface, interiorly of the casing, is provided with a metallic coating 'l which may be metalfoil. The bottom board discs I2, i4 of the same size and shape which are attached together at their centers b a staple I6, thus permitting their peripheral edge to be sprung apart to receive a bead I8 which is formed on the free peripheral edge of the cover, thus providing a. particularly simple and cheap construction permitting easy assembly and disassembly. The movable elements 6 are formed of non-metallic material, preferably paper, and may be shaped to simulate any known figure, for example, a human being. The lower extremity or extremities of each element 6, for example the feet of .the figure disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4 are covered on one or both sides with metal, as shown at 2U. The weight of metal which is so added is more fully described hereinafter.

When the parts of the toy are assembled with the cover 4 attached to fthe bottom 2 and the movable figures within the casing, the toy is operated Iby striking the cover 4 one or more glancing, or swiping, blows with the hand. Charges of static electricity of opposite sign are thereby generated within the cover and bottom and an electrostatic eld is set up between them, causing attraction and repulsion ol the paper figures whereby these move in erratic paths within the casing in a suspended, or vertical, position, producing a dancing movement. The metal applied to the lower part of each ligure prevents the figures from sticking to either the cover or the bottom. The metal is applied in such quantity that the weight thereof is greater than the attraction of .the charged casing but is not so great as to cause the pull of gravity to completely overcome such attraction and hold the ligure in a fixed position, and the iigures therefore remain in a vertical position so long as the electrostatic field exists.

It has been found that a toy constructed in accordance with thi-s invention is much preferred to known toys of the same type as it produces more prolonged and erratic movement of the iigures, is not subject to sticking of the figures to the cover or bottom, is easily and cheaply manufactured. and may be easily and quickly assembled or dis-assembled. Further, the provision of an acetate cover increases the strength of the electrostatic field to such an extent that -the amount and duration of movement of the figures are far greater than in known toys.

While we have described and illustrated but one embodiment of our invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, as well as modifications of that disclosed, may be made without departing in any way from the scope of the invention, for the limits of which reference must be had to the appended claims.

We claim:

l. An electrostaticaliy-operated toy comprising a, casing formed of a, cup-shaped cover formed of non-metallic material in which static electricity of negative sign is produced by rubbing and a bottom closing the open end of the cover and having a metallic coating on its upper surface within the casing. and at least one element positioned within the casing for free movement therein and being formed of non-metallic material and having a metallic coating applied to one extremity thereof in an amount sufficient so to lower the center of gravity of the element that it will assume a vertical position when an electrostatic field is established between the casing and the coating but insumcient in amount to prevent the element from assuming such a vertical position and from having free movement, whereby such element will freely move in an erratic path within the casing in a, vertical position with the metallic coating at the lower end .thereof when an eiectro static eld is produced between said cover and said bottom.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a part for an electrostatically-operated toycomprising a body formed of a sheet of non-metallic material shaped to simulate a known ligure, such as that of a human being, and metal coated on one extremity thereof only in an amount sufiicient so to lower the center of gravity of the element that it will assume a vertical position when placed in an electrostatic field but insuicient in amount to prevent the element from assuming such a vertical position and from having free movement.

ARTHUR BERNDT. KURT BERNDT.

REFERENCES crren The following references are of record ln the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

